Yamaha celebrates 20 years of pedal-electric bicycles with YPJ-01 concept

While most of us know Yamaha for its motorcycles or snowmobiles, the company has also been working on pedal-electric bicycles for the past 20 years, as part of its PAS project. Marking that anniversary, Yamaha produced the eye-catching one-off YPJ-01, which we recently spied at the Tokyo Motor Show.

"Combining the smallest and lightest class of drive unit and battery with a beautiful, sporty frame, this model offers the exciting ride characteristic of a hybrid design," says Yamaha. That battery is a Yamaha-branded lithium-ion model of unstated capacity, while the bottom bracket-mounted direct-assist motor is rated at 250 watts.

The bike also features smartphone integration, allowing the rider to use their handlebar-mounted mobile device to view "the bicycle's information." Little is available in the way of specs (such as weight), although we did spot a nice set of Campagnolo Super Record derailleurs on the bike.

There's no word on when or if we'll ever be able to buy a YPJ-01 of our own, or if it's purely a design exercise.